10 Deleted Scenes That Radically Change Famous Films
9. Starling Loves Hannibal
The initial relationship between FBI profiler Clarice Starling and literal maneater Hannibal Lector in Silence Of The Lambs is dark and twisted, sure, but ultimately it's all about power and getting the upper hand. When it came time for the sequel, the kind of nuance that director Jonathan Demme brought to the table with that and all other aspects of the film was thrown out by Ridley Scott in favour of having a bit where Ray Liotta gets his head sawed open and people feast upon his exposed brain.
The ongoing tête-à-tête between the law woman and the cannibal takes a similar turn. As in, Hannibal makes it explicit that the titular nutball (played by Anthony Hopkins in full lip-hissing glory) has something of a thing for Starling (this time played by Julianne Moore as opposed to Jodie Foster), as evidenced by the ending where she kisses him as a distraction for handcuffing, before severing his own hand rather than hers. Because he likes her! Daww.
Except in the alternate, deleted ending, she never handcuffs him. They make out and she lets him escape, which totally changes the meaning of the ending. And what Hannibal means to Starling...